Andre Agassi will join TNT for the French Open; the Chiefs request more Christmas games; USGA rights will hit the open market; and TGL looks at expansion for next season.
Andre Agassi joining TNT’s French Open coverage
Eight-time Grand Slam winner Andre Agassi will join TNT Sport’s coverage of the final stages of the French Open this year as a studio analyst, the network announced Wednesday. Agassi, who retired from professional tennis in 2006, has not previously worked in sports television in any significant capacity. According to The Athletic, Agassi will work alongside studio host Adam Lefkoe.
For match coverage, TNT will use Brian Anderson as its lead announcer along with John McEnroe. TNT has also held conversations with Jim Courier, Lindsay Davenport, and others to join the network’s coverage, according to the report.
TNT Sports is airing the tournament for the first time this season as part of a 10-year, $650 million deal with the French Tennis Federation. Coverage will appear across TNT, TBS, truTV, and Max, with an exact programming schedule to be announced later. NBC previously carried coverage annually since 1975, save for a three-year stint with CBS in the 80s.
Chiefs request permanent Christmas games
The Kansas City Chiefs have requested to the NFL to continue to be scheduled for Christmas Day games, to become a “fixture” of the league’s schedule like the Cowboys and Lions on Thanksgiving, according to The Athletic. The Chiefs played a Christmas afternoon game at home in 2023 and then the first-ever NFL game on Netflix on the road in Pittsburgh last season. The league is expected to comply with the request at least for this season, meaning the Chiefs will likely play again on Christmas on Netflix in the afternoon, or on Prime Video in the evening.
The Athletic report also notes the Chiefs are the “favorite” to face the Chargers in the Friday-night opening-week game in Brazil. Peacock aired the Brazil game last year; a media partner for the standalone game this season has not been revealed.
Over the last several years, the Chiefs, with five Super Bowl appearances in the last six years, have become among the league’s top TV draws, rivaling Dallas’s longtime position as “America’s Team”. When asked about that moniker at the league’s owners’ meetings on Monday, Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said “our goal is to be the world’s team.”
USGA rights hit open market
The United States Golf Association’s exclusive media rights negotiating window with NBC Sports has expired without a deal, with the USGA now expected to explore the open market, according to Sports Business Journal. The current deal, with includes the US Open as well as several other events, expires after the 2026 championships.
SBJ noted NBC is certainly not out of the running for a new deal even as the exclusive window expired. Also in the mix could be SpinCo, the new, separate holding company for Comcast’s cable assets like Golf Channel and USA Network.
NBC’s relationship with the US Open dates back to the first televised edition in 1954. After nearly 30 years on ABC, NBC resumed the rights in 1995 and has held them ever since, save for a five-year stint with Fox that was poorly received and terminated early due to COVID-related scheduling conflicts in 2020.
TGL eyes expansion
With the inaugural season of TGL indoor golf in the books, the league is already looking to next season. The league is working with ESPN on finalizing next season’s schedule, which will likely be in January-March again in 2026, according to the AP. TGL will also explore minor rule changes next season to improve the competition experience.
An investment group in Dallas is planning to bid for an expansion franchise for next season, valued at $77 million. TGL co-founder Mike McCarley said “there’s been a ton of interest” in regards to expansion franchises. The six teams from the 2025 season are all expected to return.
The league is also exploring the option of a secondary West Coast arena to help with player travel. Most PGA Tour Events are played on the West Coast in January and February, and the primarily Monday and Tuesday night TGL events in Florida created a hectic winter travel schedule for players.
